Google: Policy to track partners via stalker apps without permission is typo

Google has changed the stalkerware policy in the Play app store. Currently, the rules state that stalkerware may be used to track partners without permission, but tracking children is not allowed. This has been reversed in the new policy.

Under the current Google Play Store policy on malware, stalkerware apps may be used to track adults, such as a partner, without their knowledge and consent. Stalkerware is, according to Google, an app that sends personal information from a device without the user’s knowledge or consent. This policy has been active since August 12.

Earlier this week, however, Google announced a policy update, in which the company says it will adjust a ‘typo’ in the stalkerware policy. In this new policy, the text of the previous policy has in fact been reversed. Currently, such apps may be used by parents to track children, but other people, including partners, may not simply be tracked with stalkerware. Exceptions to this are if the person has given permission for this, or if a notification is shown when the data is sent. Incidentally, displaying such a notification is mandatory for all stalkerware apps and for apps that track a user’s behavior.

In addition, stalkerware apps may only be distributed through the Play Store if they are aimed at parental or family supervision. These apps must also not present themselves as espionage software, must not mislead users or mask their behavior, and must be legally valid in the country where they are offered. The new stalkerware policy is effective on October 1.